Increasing awareness of racial differences

Daniels describes how his childhood relations with blacks changed when he became older. Racial differences, consequently, became more apparent. His family's relocation to Washington, D.C., also increased his awareness of race relations.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Jonathan Worth Daniels, March 9-11, 1977. Interview A-0313. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

CHARLES EAGLES:

When do you think you would have stopped playing with black children, or
would you have played with black children all the way until you . . .

JONATHAN WORTH DANIELS:

In the ball teams, I think we'd have played until . . . That's a hard
question.

CHARLES EAGLES:

There's bound to be a time when you went your separate ways.

JONATHAN WORTH DANIELS:

There came a time when you were Charlie, and at some point you become
"Mr. Charles." Now when that occurred, I don't know,
but it did occur. And I imagine one of the reasons why, many of the
conflicts—although that system doesn't exist
today—racial differences become apparent to both. Before you
reach the basis of adolescence, there's no sense of black except as you
are it. But when you get to a certain point, one realizes he belongs
here and the other realizes he belongs there, or
did.

CHARLES EAGLES:

When did that take place for you?

JONATHAN WORTH DANIELS:

I don't know, because I moved to Washington. And in Washington, except
for our servants, we were completely removed from the black world. I
didn't know any black children; there weren't any within three or four
miles of us. And the John Eaton School, the public school which I
attended, was absolutely lily-white.